Improvement in copying-presses



il; 1E sys UNITED STATES ALONZO WHITGOMB, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN COPYING-PRESSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 116,781, dated July 4, 1871.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALONZO WHITCOMB, of Worcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Letter-Copying Presses, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to that class of copying presses in which the pressure is applied through the means of a treadle; and it consists in the manner of constructing the press as a whole, and in applying thereto a friction-cam to hold the book under pressure after the foot is removed from the treadle, and an adjusting-screw to regulate the press for books of diii'erent thicknesses. Figure 1 is a perspective view of my press. Fig. 2 is a vertical section, through the lower end of the same, at the center.

In constructing my press I iirst provide an upright frame, A, consisting of two legs or standards, braced together as shown in Fig. l. On the upper ends of these standards I mount rigidly a bed-plate, B. Below the bed B I arrange a movable bed, O, through the ends of which the standards of frame A pass, as shown in Fig. 1, the bed being' thus supported and guided bythe standards, while at the same time it can slide freely up and down upon them. In the lower end of the frame I mount a treadle or lever, I), as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. At the middle of the frame, directly above each other, I form two bosses or enlargements, a, having vertical holes through themyandin said holes I mount a vertical sliding rod, E, having its upper end securedto the bed O, and resting at its lower end on the back end of the treadle D, as shown in Fig. 2. When the front end of the treadle is depressed its rear vend raises the rod E and forces the bed C upward. Through the upper end of rod E I form a vertical slot, and mount therein an eccentric, Gr, provided with an arm or handle, and having its edge beveled or sharpened, this sharpened edge bearing in a V-shaped notch in the boss a, as shown in Fig. 1.

When the press is to be used, the operator places the copy-book or paper upon the bed O and then bears down with his foot upon the treadle, which raises the bed C and compresses the book with great force between the two beds. As the bed O rises, the eccentric turns by its gravity so as to bear constantly in the notch, and thus support the bed B and keeps the book under pressure when the foot is removed from the treadle. I/Vhen the book is to be removed the arm of the eccentric is raised so as to release the eccentric and let the bed O descend. The

rod E I divide transversely into two parts, and connect said parts by a screw, H, provided with a hand-wheel, c, as shown in Fig. 1, so that by turning said wheel the rod may be lengthened or shortened. By thus adjusting the rod the Vheight of movement ofthe bed C may be varied, as required, to adapt the press for receiving books of different thicknesses. In small presses, and presses in which books of nearly a uniform thickness are to be used, a solid rod, E, will answer. It is obvious that the eccentric may be arranged in various ways besides the one shown, the purpose being the same, however, in all casesthat is, to automatically follow up and support the bedO.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In combination with the stationary bed B and the movable becLO, the eccentric G, arranged to operate substantially as described, whereby the movable bed is automatically locked in position, when elevated by the foot-lever, as set forth.

2. The combination of the bedsB C, eccentric G, adjustable rod E, and i'ootlever I), all constructedand arranged to operate substantially as herein set forth.

ALONZO WHITCOMB.

Witnesses:

GHAs. A. HoLERooK, B. E. TUCKER.

PATENT OEEIoE.A 

